Drilling rig



July 13, 1954 Filed April 28, 1949 S. D. GUNNING DRILLING RIG 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 13, 1954 s. D. GUNNING DRILLING RIG 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1949 FIG.5

i FIG.4

. INVENTOR. SAMUEL D. GUNNING Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATES EXTENT OFFICE DRILLING RIG Application April 28, 1949, Serial No. 90,192

1 Claim.

This invention relates broadly to rock drilling apparatus, but more particularly to a portable drilling rig.

One object of this invention is to produce a rock drill carrying rig forming an assembly capable of being operatively carried by and moved from place to place by a crane, the rig being designed to accommodate two rock drills for drilling vertical holes such as required in trench iirilling purporting to the installation of a pipe Another object of this invention is to produce a drilling rig of simple construction affording an emcient and rigid support for two rock drills equipped with independent feeding mechanism.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, and wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of the drilling rig embodying the invention and shown carried by a crane.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the drilling rig shown in Figure 1 with the crane omitted.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the yoke supporting drill, Figure 4 is a side view and Figure 5 is a top plan view of the yoke.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken through line 6-6 in Figure 1. In this view only the lower end of the drilling motor is shown.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken through line 11 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a crane assembly which is shown to include a motor driven vehicle such as a tractor l0, carrying a boom H equipped with pulleys l2 accommodating a steel rope or cable 13, which has its free end provided with a hook I4, while the other end is fastened to a hoist l5 secured on the tractor Hi. The hoist may be either motor driven or manually actuated, and the boom H, which is substantially L-shaped, made to extend laterally well beyond the tractors side.

The drilling rig includes a substantially rectangular yoke or drill carrying frame C preferably made of two parallel side members of rectangular cross section and having a bore ll extending laterally through one end thereof, hereinafter referred to as the upper end, to receive a cylindrical cross member it which is welded thereto. The cross member 18 extends beyond the side members l6 where its ends are each provided with a fiat under seat 19 having a 2 hole 26 leading vertically therefrom through the end of the cross member. Equally spaced from the side members I6, the cross member i8 is also provided with a loop 2| which is integrally secured thereto and extends upwardly therefrom to receive the steel rope hook Hi.

The other ends of the side members [6, hereinafter referred to as the lower ends, are rigidly united by a cylindrical cross brace 22 having its ends welded to the inner sides of the members Iii. Below the brace 22, there is welded to the outer side of each member [6 a laterally offset lug or bearing plate 23 having an aperture 24 extending therethrough.

Carried by yoke C are two alike drilling apparatus B located Vertically in spaced and back to back relation. In practice, drilling apparatus B can be of any suitable type, many of which are used commercially and are well known in this art. In the present disclosure, each drilling apparatus includes a relatively long tubular frame 25 having its central and end portions formed with laterally spaced parallel lugs 36 extending upwardly therefrom and having secured thereto by cross bolts 3! a pair of L-shaped guide members 38. The guide members extend the full length of the frame 25 and fit within guideways 39 formed in a plate 40, thereby enabling its guided slidable movement on the frame 25. Rigidly secured to the plate 40 by clamps ll, there is a fluid actuated rock drill or drilling motor 26, which is thereby mounted for guided slidable movement relative to the frame 25 toward or away from the ground.

As clearly shown in Figs. 6 and '7, the interior of the frame 25 constitutes a cylindrical chamber 42 which extends the full length thereof and accommodates a fluid actuated feeding mechanism of the type disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent 2,075,706. This mechanism is operatively associated with the rock drill 26, through a chain or the like, for imparting slidable movement or feeding motion thereto relative to the frame 25 toward or away from the ground.

The rock drill 26 is preferably of the fluid actuated percussive type adapted to deliver a succession of impacts to a drill steel 21, which is guided against lateral movement by a drill steel centralizer 23 operatively carried by the lower end of the frame 25.

In the present construction, each drill guiding frame 25 has its upper end formed by a head 29 having an apertured lug 30 extending laterally therefrom and adapted to fit on one of the under seats IQ of the yoke C. Extending through the a lug 30 and hole 20, there is a bolt 3| by which the upper end of the frame 25 is rigidly secured to the yoke C. Intermediate its ends, the elongated frame 25 is usually provided with a control head 32 forming a rigid part of the frame and provided with a cone 33 through which the frame is usually secured to a supporting device having a corresponding socket. In the present construction, the cone 33, instead of fitting in a corresponding socket, is simply provided with a bolt 34 which extends therefrom through the aperture 24 of the offset lug 23 welded to the lower ends of the yoke C, thereby rigidly securing the drill guiding frame to the lower end of the yoke.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the two drill guiding frames 25 have their upper ends rigidly secured to the upper end of the yoke C through the bolts 3!, and their middle portions or central heads 32 to the lower ends of the yoke through the bolts 34. From the lower ends of the yoke, the frames extend downwardly without any additional support.

It will also be understood that the two drill guiding frames 25 are mounted in back to back and parallel relation on the opposed sides of the yoke C. As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the entire drill rig is perfectly plumb relative to its suspension loop 2|. In other words, an imaginary continuation of the cable vertical strand 13 in Fig. 1, would divide the drilling rig in two lateral half portions of substantially alike configuration and weight. A similar imaginary continuation of the strand i3 in Fig. 2 would divide the rig in two longitudinal half portions of substantially alike configuration and'weight, thereby causing yoke C, drilling apparatus B, frames 25 and consequently drill steels 2! to normally assume a vertical position and remain parallel to their suspension axis 13 in all positions possible by virtue of their rotation 'on or about said axis. Since in Fig. 2, both longitudinal half portions would be substantially equal, it can also be said that the longitudinalcenter'axes of both drilling apparatus B or more particularly the 1ongitudi nal center axes of both drill guiding frames 25 are located in a vertical plane coincident with the verticalor suspension axis 13.

In the operation of the drilling rig, the yoke C is preferably suspended on one side of the tractor I through the .supporting frame or boom i I and steel rope l3,thelatter.having its head I4 operatively engaging the loop 2!. Through the hoist [5, it will be understood that the yoke and its drilling apparatus can be moved up or down to :bring the lower end of the frames in the desired height relative to the ground intended to be drilled. As shown in Figure 1, this type of suspensionmounting .is especially adaptable and beneficial in trench drilling, wherein the entire drilling apparatus can be lowered into the trench as wellas moved longitudinally thereof through the crane A.

With the yoke C suspended in drilling position, the drilling motors 26 may be fed toward or away from the work through the usual feeding mechanisms incorporated in the frames 25 or through the hoist I 5. lJhe yoke C is constructed to assure suspension of the two rock drills in perfect parallel relation, thereby enabling holes to be drilled accordingly. Because of this suspension or flexible mounting, it will be understood that two parallel lines of holes can be drilled by simply advancing the crane A the desired distance after the drilling of each pair of holes. It will also be understood that the distance between the two lines of holes can be varied by manually rotating the drilling rig on the longitudinal center axis of the yoke or in any one of the possible positions within an arc of ninety degrees. In other words, the two rock'drills can be positioned within any vertical planes starting from one transversal to the tractor It), as shown in Figure 1, to one longitudinally parallel thereto. In this last position, .the rock drills instead of drilling two parallel lines of holes, would be set for drilling on line of holes with thedistance between the hole originally equal to the distance between the tW drillsteels 21, which distance could of course b subsequently controlled by movement of the crane A after the drilling of each pair of holes.

With the drill rig in the desired. drilling position, the rock drills 26 may be started to impart rotation and deliver a succession of impacts to the drill steels 2"! .in the usual manner. During initial drilling, the rock drills are preferably operated at reduced speed and capacity, thereby enabling free rotation of the drill steels 27 without transmitting any torque to the yoke C. After the holes have been started, the rock drills are then operated at .full capacity to effect the-drilling of the holes. Sincetwo holesare being drilled at from each other, the suspended rig including yoke C and drilling apparatus B is prevented from turning on its center axis [3 by the two drill steels 2'! in their respective holes. When only one rock drill .is operating and the other has its drill steel removed from its-drilled hole, the weight of the entire rig is sufficient to overcome any torque to which the yoke may be subjected by virtue of the rotation of the one drill steel. Furthermore, since the rock drills 21 are offset from thecenter'axis l3 of the yoke C, rotation of the yoke on-the center .axis of a drill steel when in a hole is not possible without first releasing the cable -I 3.

I claim:

A drilling rig comprising a yoke suspended to and carried by a crane, said yoke including two vertical side members united by upper and lower cross members with the-upper cross member extending through the upper ends of said side members, a pair of drilling apparatus each in cluding a drill guiding frame operatively carried by said yoke, and rigid connecting means between the upper ends of-said-frames and the ends of said upper cross member outside of said side members and between said frames and the lower ends of said side members'below said lower cross member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 285,628 Jones'et'al Sept. 25, 1883 337,968 Manning Mar. 16, 1886 1,370,345 Natale Mar. 1, 1921 1,482,396 Hansen Feb. 5, 1924 1,932,106 Hirschberg Oct. 24, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,182 Great Britain 1896 427,535 Germany Apr. 9, 1926 

